I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about a
high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
Out of the blue my wife noted that I don't have enough room, so she
suggested swapping the workshop and the storage room; which would double my
room. I want to accept before she realizes that half the stuff in the
storage room will have no place to go. (I just put another circuit in the
workshop last week, but it passes through the storage room, so shortening it
will be no trouble.)
On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 19:53:01 -0500, "J. Clarke"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Just don't let sawdust and chips pile up on and around it and be careful
>with flammable liquids and vapors and you shouldn't have a problem.
I forgot to mention that most furnaces have an on/off switch right on
the side of them, so it's easy to shut off when you need to.
Just remember to turn it back on, especially if you have domestic hot
water and the wife wants a shower. DAMHIKT!
Barry
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:34:30 -0500, "Owen Lawrence"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>For me the problem is that the furnace is in the way. It (and its oil tank)
>are by far the biggest obstacles in my workshop.
My tank is about 8 feet from my bench, which is in a corner of the
basement with no windows..
One afternoon, I was sitting at the bench dry fitting, totally in a
zone. When the oil delivery guy opened the valve on the hose, I
nearly castrated myself with a chisel. I thought something blew up
when the oil started slamming into the tank! <G>
Barry
I place the "furnace in the shop" up there with the "ungrounded PVC duct
collection explosions"!
I have a 80% furnace in my shop and I am still alive!
One day I may really risk it all and put up some PVC dust collector duct!
Greg
"toller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about
a
> high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
>
> Out of the blue my wife noted that I don't have enough room, so she
> suggested swapping the workshop and the storage room; which would double
my
> room. I want to accept before she realizes that half the stuff in the
> storage room will have no place to go. (I just put another circuit in the
> workshop last week, but it passes through the storage room, so shortening
it
> will be no trouble.)
>
>
"toller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop,
How do the pros heat their shops?!
I have not seen them all, but the ones I have been in had funaces!
Greg
"Morris Dovey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Greg O wrote:
>
> > "toller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >
> >> I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop,
> >
> > How do the pros heat their shops?! I have not seen them all,
> > but the ones I have been in had funaces!
>
> All of the commercial shops I've seen have had natural gas and/or
> wood heat (those with wood heat were more what I'd consider
> "factories" than "shops", and they burned hardwood scrap).
>
>
The point I was trying to make is the "sky is falling" bunch that thinks a
furnace in a woodworking shop is a bad idea!
A pro shop probably has a paint booth IF they do any finishing them selves.
Other than that differance they all need heat too!
So the prophets of doom can run and hide, but I see no problem with a
furnace in a wood shop, as long as some thought is involved!
If you are doing finish work you should have some fresh air ventilating the
shop for your own good. I often open a window, crack open the door, and
leave the heat on. It gets the fumes out, fresh air in for me, and no worry
about blowing myself up!
Greg
<< I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about a
high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
Out of the blue my wife noted that I don't have enough room, so she
suggested swapping the workshop and the storage room; which would double my
room. I want to accept before she realizes that half the stuff in the
storage room will have no place to go. (I just put another circuit in the
workshop last week, but it passes through the storage room, so shortening it
will be no trouble.)
>>
Gentlemen, ladies,
I'm not sure what the problem is with a furnace in the shop. Are we concerned
with airborne flammable dust particles? Flammable solvents would be more of a
problem, it seems to me. In any event, how would a furnace in the next room be
any safer in the case of flammable vapors? It doesn't seem to be much of a
solution, unless the furnace room were sealed. As for wood dust, a good DC
system, with ceiling mounted unit, should make the furnace a non-issue.
Curt Blood
Greg O wrote:
> I place the "furnace in the shop" up there with the "ungrounded PVC duct
> collection explosions"!
> I have a 80% furnace in my shop and I am still alive!
> One day I may really risk it all and put up some PVC dust collector duct!
YOU'RE GOING TO BLOW US ALL UP YOU LUNATIC!!!!!!!
Hrm. More exclamation points.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, that looks suitably stark raving mad.
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/
Ba r r y wrote:
> combustion intakes, my house smokes like a badly tuned locomotive.
:)
Like the stencil says. BLACK SMOKE WASTES MONEY
That post brought back some pleasant memories. Too bad they stuck the 611
back in a museum. :(
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:37:50 GMT, Ba r r y <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:03:19 GMT, "toller" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about a
>>high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
>
> My oil burning boiler has always been in my shop, as it's also the
> basement. <G> I blow out the air intakes when I remember and shut it
> off when I've got solvents and stains open. If I forget to clean the
> combustion intakes, my house smokes like a badly tuned locomotive.
>
> I haven't exploded yet, but I figure the ungrounded PVC will set it
> off first.
You _had_ to start it, didn't you.
"Owen Lawrence" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > > I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how
> about
> > > a high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
> > >
> >
> > We recently had to have some furnace work done in our new house. In
> > chatting with the guy who came, I mentioned I wanted to set up a wood
shop
> > in the basement near the furnace. He said it is really important to
have
> > fresh air for the intakes and mentioned there are some models of burners
> > that allow ducted intake air, which I guess is what you have. He said
> > with using such intakes should be fine. He also gave a couple stories
> > of woodworking customers who thought it didn't matter. His stock answer
> > to them is "see you in 6 months" which is about how long he says an oil
> > furnace burner will last in a sawdusty environment.
>
> I've been doing it for fifteen years so far. Would "ducted intake air" be
> the same as my cold air return ducts?
I'd say no. Maybe too literal in my lack of interpretation, but I picture a
duct which takes in air for combustion from outside the place heated.
Of course, I'm not a heating service man either, so my furnace has been
working 25 years without one. It's less efficient, so they tell me, but it
does help exchange air within the dwelling.
Greg O wrote:
> The point I was trying to make is the "sky is falling" bunch
> that thinks a furnace in a woodworking shop is a bad idea! A
> pro shop probably has a paint booth IF they do any finishing
> them selves. Other than that differance they all need heat
> too! So the prophets of doom can run and hide, but I see no
> problem with a furnace in a wood shop, as long as some thought
> is involved!
Right-o. My (rented) shop space has no windows and the door is a
generous 45'x12', so once it's been opened, the shop cools down
fairly quickly in winter. I worked through the first winter
without the furnace; but often found myself having to choose
between wearing heavy gloves or working with numb fingers -
neither option seeming particularly safe. I gave the furnace a
/lot/ of thought before installing it.
> If you are doing finish work you should have some fresh air
> ventilating the shop for your own good. I often open a window,
> crack open the door, and leave the heat on. It gets the fumes
> out, fresh air in for me, and no worry about blowing myself
> up!
Good plan. Most of my stuff is coated with paint that doesn't
present much in the way of fire hazard. The furnace draws its
combustion air from the shop; and so helps draw in fresh air
while it's running. When I need to spray volatiles I shut down
the furnace, do my spraying, set a timer to restart the furnace
the following morning, and go home. The structure is leaky enough
that after twelve or fourteen hours it's safe to run the furnace
again.
I can understand how people who work with alcohol/acetone/toluene
thinned finsishes can (and probably should be) nervous; but I
agree with you that a well-designed, properly vented spray booth
or room is probably a much better solution than working in the cold.
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html
If it is against the wall and you are worried about it, why not just build a
little room around it. Then you have two more small walls to hang clamps or
cabinets on.
--
If at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving
"toller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about
a
> high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
>
> Out of the blue my wife noted that I don't have enough room, so she
> suggested swapping the workshop and the storage room; which would double
my
> room. I want to accept before she realizes that half the stuff in the
> storage room will have no place to go. (I just put another circuit in the
> workshop last week, but it passes through the storage room, so shortening
it
> will be no trouble.)
>
>
Since it brings combustion air in from the outside it shouldn't be a issue.
I bet the burners are sealed from the inside house air?
"toller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about
>a high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
>
> Out of the blue my wife noted that I don't have enough room, so she
> suggested swapping the workshop and the storage room; which would double
> my room. I want to accept before she realizes that half the stuff in the
> storage room will have no place to go. (I just put another circuit in the
> workshop last week, but it passes through the storage room, so shortening
> it will be no trouble.)
>
Greg O wrote:
> "toller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>> I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop,
>
> How do the pros heat their shops?! I have not seen them all,
> but the ones I have been in had funaces!
All of the commercial shops I've seen have had natural gas and/or
wood heat (those with wood heat were more what I'd consider
"factories" than "shops", and they burned hardwood scrap).
I have some difficulty thinking of myself as a "pro"; but my shop
/is/ a commercial shop, so I guess the label might apply...
I don't produce enough scrap to heat my shop (that's a gloat!) My
primary heat is from solar panels; and I have a natural gas
furnace to provide "make-up" heat. The furnace (a 100kBTU Reznor)
has piezo ignition; and it's shut off during, and for some time
after, opening or using any volatile materials.
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html
toller wrote:
> I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about
> a high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
>
> Out of the blue my wife noted that I don't have enough room, so she
> suggested swapping the workshop and the storage room; which would double
> my
> room. I want to accept before she realizes that half the stuff in the
> storage room will have no place to go. (I just put another circuit in the
> workshop last week, but it passes through the storage room, so shortening
> it will be no trouble.)
Just don't let sawdust and chips pile up on and around it and be careful
with flammable liquids and vapors and you shouldn't have a problem.
--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 21:06:03 -0500, Brett Viren
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>His stock answer
>to them is "see you in 6 months" which is about how long he says an oil
>furnace burner will last in a sawdusty environment.
Blowing or vacuuming the air intakes out will make a huge difference.
My first experience with clogged intakes was when the wife decided to
place the cat litter box and bowls next to the furnace. The intakes
became clogged with hair! <G> No permanent damage was done, but if
it goes a while, soot can build up in the chimney.
My guy showed me how to clean the intake area. I vacuum the burner
area about every 3 months, he cleans annually, and all is still well
6-7 years later.
Barry
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:03:19 GMT, "toller" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about a
>high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
>
>Out of the blue my wife noted that I don't have enough room, so she
>suggested swapping the workshop and the storage room; which would double my
>room. I want to accept before she realizes that half the stuff in the
>storage room will have no place to go. (I just put another circuit in the
>workshop last week, but it passes through the storage room, so shortening it
>will be no trouble.)
>
Nothing wrong with it all. I have an old low-effeciency unit in my
shop and nary a problem. I don't open flammables unless the switch is
off, and the shop is aired out well before turning it back on. Keep
the filter clean and you'll be fine.
Just keep in mind, turning off the switch to the furnace does not shut off
the pilot light. With newer furnaces this is not an issue as they do not
have pilot lights.
"LP" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:03:19 GMT, "toller" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about
>>a
>>high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
>>
>>Out of the blue my wife noted that I don't have enough room, so she
>>suggested swapping the workshop and the storage room; which would double
>>my
>>room. I want to accept before she realizes that half the stuff in the
>>storage room will have no place to go. (I just put another circuit in the
>>workshop last week, but it passes through the storage room, so shortening
>>it
>>will be no trouble.)
>>
>
> Nothing wrong with it all. I have an old low-effeciency unit in my
> shop and nary a problem. I don't open flammables unless the switch is
> off, and the shop is aired out well before turning it back on. Keep
> the filter clean and you'll be fine.
>
>
> Gentlemen, ladies,
>
> I'm not sure what the problem is with a furnace in the shop. Are we
concerned
> with airborne flammable dust particles? Flammable solvents would be more
of a
> problem, it seems to me. In any event, how would a furnace in the next
room be
> any safer in the case of flammable vapors? It doesn't seem to be much of
a
> solution, unless the furnace room were sealed. As for wood dust, a good
DC
> system, with ceiling mounted unit, should make the furnace a non-issue.
>
> Curt Blood
For me the problem is that the furnace is in the way. It (and its oil tank)
are by far the biggest obstacles in my workshop. I have a couple of small
piles of wood stacked near it (only about a foot and a half high, folding
sawhorses and leftovers), and I just leave a 6" gap. The furnace guy always
complains when he comes to clean the furnace, but there's always lots of
cool air to convect the heat away from the wood, and the furnace walls don't
radiate enough to start a fire. The furnace is a space waster, especially
in the summer.
If I were single I think I'd put the workshop in the dining room where the
light's good, fireplace right there for the scraps. No more lugging long
lumber down stairs, negotiating a 180 degree turn halfway. But I'm
dreaming. It's still a lot of fun, even though I'm woodworking in the
basement.
- Owen -
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:28:11 -0500, "Wayne K" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Just keep in mind, turning off the switch to the furnace does not shut off
>the pilot light. With newer furnaces this is not an issue as they do not
>have pilot lights.
Neither do oil burners.
The only natural gas in my house comes from me. <G>
Barry
"LP" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:03:19 GMT, "toller" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how
about a
> >high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
> >
> >Out of the blue my wife noted that I don't have enough room, so she
> >suggested swapping the workshop and the storage room; which would double
my
> >room. I want to accept before she realizes that half the stuff in the
> >storage room will have no place to go. (I just put another circuit in
the
> >workshop last week, but it passes through the storage room, so shortening
it
> >will be no trouble.)
> >
>
> Nothing wrong with it all. I have an old low-effeciency unit in my
> shop and nary a problem. I don't open flammables unless the switch is
> off, and the shop is aired out well before turning it back on. Keep
> the filter clean and you'll be fine.
>
>
Likewise, I have one in my garage and I'll take it a step further. I spray
paint cars in there. The open flame/explosion thing is not well understood
in this group and a lot of extra precautions are taken that aren't really
necessary. Comfortable for some, and that's good, but not essential. I put
a lot more atomized material in the air than you will finishing woodworking
projects on a regular basis, and from a lot more volatile products. I don't
store my solvents on a shelf right next to the furnace, but the furnace is
on while I paint in the colder months.
I do exhaust my garage while I'm painting though. Not with the type of fan
I'd really like, but with a pretty good box fan stuck under the garage door
and sealed around with plastic. It's a very effective exhaust but one day
I'll put in something more effective and more permanent. I would suggest
some sort of exhaust in a basement shop as well. Less for any explosion
concerns as for health concerns. Some of this stuff can get to be pretty
nasty. In my case I have to be able to see the car to paint it and it can
get to be hard to see it in a short time. It would not take a lot of fan to
exhaust a small basement workshop space and you'll be happy you did it.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
On 31 Dec 2004 21:15:39 GMT, Dave Hinz <[email protected]> wrote:
>You _had_ to start it, didn't you.
Tomorrow's a new year, and SOMEONE had to be first! <G>
Barry
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:03:19 GMT, "toller" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about a
>high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
My oil burning boiler has always been in my shop, as it's also the
basement. <G> I blow out the air intakes when I remember and shut it
off when I've got solvents and stains open. If I forget to clean the
combustion intakes, my house smokes like a badly tuned locomotive.
I haven't exploded yet, but I figure the ungrounded PVC will set it
off first.
Barry
Hi toller,
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:03:19 +0000, toller wrote:
> I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how about
> a high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
>
We recently had to have some furnace work done in our new house. In
chatting with the guy who came, I mentioned I wanted to set up a wood shop
in the basement near the furnace. He said it is really important to have
fresh air for the intakes and mentioned there are some models of burners
that allow ducted intake air, which I guess is what you have. He said
with using such intakes should be fine. He also gave a couple stories
of woodworking customers who thought it didn't matter. His stock answer
to them is "see you in 6 months" which is about how long he says an oil
furnace burner will last in a sawdusty environment.
-Brett.
PS: btw, this is my first visit to r.w.. Hello to the group!
On Sat, 01 Jan 2005 07:09:15 -0500, George wrote:
>
> "Owen Lawrence" <[email protected]> wrote in message
...
>> I've been doing it for fifteen years so far. Would "ducted intake air" be
>> the same as my cold air return ducts?
>
> I'd say no. Maybe too literal in my lack of interpretation, but I picture a
> duct which takes in air for combustion from outside the place heated.
Yes, that's right. He said a large flexible hose, like a clothes dryer
exhaust hose, is run from outside the house and attached to the air intake
of the burner. Only some burners have a mount to easily allow this. Ours
doesn't....
-Brett.
"Brett Viren" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi toller,
>
> On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:03:19 +0000, toller wrote:
>
> > I know it is a bad idea to have the furnace in the workshop, but how
about
> > a high efficiency furnace that brings in outside air; is that okay?
> >
>
> We recently had to have some furnace work done in our new house. In
> chatting with the guy who came, I mentioned I wanted to set up a wood shop
> in the basement near the furnace. He said it is really important to have
> fresh air for the intakes and mentioned there are some models of burners
> that allow ducted intake air, which I guess is what you have. He said
> with using such intakes should be fine. He also gave a couple stories
> of woodworking customers who thought it didn't matter. His stock answer
> to them is "see you in 6 months" which is about how long he says an oil
> furnace burner will last in a sawdusty environment.
I've been doing it for fifteen years so far. Would "ducted intake air" be
the same as my cold air return ducts? The only problem so far was when my
young son spotted the bright red oil valve handle one day. Cost me $120 to
get it turned back the way it was supposed to be.
- Owen -